Filipe Alves was born in Tarouquela, Cinfães, a village near Porto, Portugal. He began studying the trombone at the age of 11 in his hometown and later continued his studies in Lisbon before moving to Berlin to pursue advanced studies at the Universität der Künste Berlin with Stefan Schulz.
During his early career, he was an academy member of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra and principal trombone of the Gustav Mahler Jugendorchester, as well as a member of the European Union Youth Orchestra. He later performed with the Remix Ensemble and served as principal trombone of the Hamburg Philharmonic Orchestra/Hamburg State Opera.
He has collaborated with major orchestras including the Berlin Philharmonic, Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Munich Philharmonic, NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra, WDR Symphony Orchestra Cologne, and the Gulbenkian Orchestra. In chamber music, he has worked with German Brass and is now a member of The Philharmonic Brass.
He has worked with conductors such as Daniel Barenboim, Sir Simon Rattle, Claudio Abbado, Zubin Mehta, Gustavo Dudamel, Andris Nelsons, Riccardo Muti, Christian Thielemann, and Tugan Sokhiev, among many others.
Since 2016, he has been principal trombone of the Staatskapelle Berlin. He is also active as a mentor at the Staatskapelle Berlin Academy, mentor of the low brass section of the Verbier Festival Orchestra, and a professor at the Barenboim-Said Academy.